[The persuadable] “tend to be reasonable people and their unconscious first instinct is to assume, when discussing what they believe is a factual topic, that the other person holding an opposing view is going to be reasonable. That rarely applies when it comes to global warming. It’s a milestone on their road to becoming a skeptic of it, when they begin to realise the science is irrelevant, facts don’t actually matter and it’s all about propaganda, political influence and money.”

I’ve found the same for religion. I tend to assume the person I am talking to seeks truth and enlightenment. It is always a disappointment when I realize otherwise.

I’ll also add that I viewed global warming alarmism as a fundamentalist religion, founded on dogma and fiat, from at least the mid-1990s. The evidence to support that analogy has grown ever since.

I’m one of life’s simpler creatures; a minimalist lean-burn type of person. My pleasures are inexpensive and simple; a bit of free kick-ass rock and roll courtesy of YouTube, an afterburner chilli once in a while, the eternal hope my team of hapless buggers will finally win something of note, some friends coming around on occasion to share a beer and a laugh, and something decent to read of an evening, accompanied by a shot glass of something wicked within easy reach.

It’s a lifestyle and an attitude of mind which is conducive to being the minority endangered species a climate skeptic blogger is. Given a realistic assessment of your capabilities, you develop modest expectations. You’ve not got much power, no budget and you sort of know whatever ripples you manage to create will die out before they even reach the inside edge of the teacup.